What’s your favorite way to eat venison?
Whitetail Deer
I like to take half a back strap and soak it in saltwater overnight, then marinate it in A-1/Worcestershire /olive oil for a few hours, and then grill it at 400 for 6 minutes a side. One of my favorite meals on the planet, and works great with elk, pronghorn, white tails, and Mule deer. What is your favorite?
Elk
Elk
I like to rub mine with some spice smoke for a hour or two. Then reverse sear on a 500 degree grill about 2-5 minutes per side depending on size.
Salt and pepper and grill it quick over a hot fire. Doesn't need anything else for me.
I use to grill steaks on my charcoal Weber,you had to be so careful not to over do and I started getting good results... then I rubbed a backstrap with seasoning, grilled whole backstrap then removed from grill and let sit for a while... trapping those juices in is the key in my opinion. I also love Venison meatloaf, a simple recipe that includes ketchup, and worcester sauce.
I like to use roughly 1/3 of backstrap in one piece for wife and I. I found in cast iron skillet is hard to beat. A little olive oil in pan. Moderate about of salt and pepper on meat 30-60 mins before cooking. Sear the heck out of it, to only rare/medium rare. Maybe melt a little butter on just before taking out a pan. It is hard to beat.
You guys are cruel to make my mouth water like that!
Let's hear some non backstrap ideas. Favorite for me is using roasts of any sort for phillys. Slice against the grain in strips. Flash em in a cast iron pan and set aside. Toss in some butter onions peppers and shrooms and cook til soft. Add venison back in with some worsterschire sauce. Eat on a toasted roll with provolone.
Hard to pick just one. We eat deer, wild pig, or other game 6 to 10 meals a week.
I do exactly what string cheesehead does.. yummmm. Also cut up a “football roast” marinade in Italian dressing for a couple days, skewer and cook on the grill throw it on a hogie with cheese and creamy Italian dressing…Yumm. Same idea but chunks of meat vs thinly sliced
I love it any way it’s fixed as long as it’s not overdone. Hamburger steaks, spaghetti, meatloaf, chili, stew, you name it. My favorites have to be chicken fried or backstraps in three sections, bacon wrapped and grilled. The small section comes off first so we’re generally eating off of it as the others are finishing up. ;-)
My favorite way is with a knife and a fork...
I can’t remember, it’s been 22 years since I killed a deer. Can’t draw a tag to save my life.
One of my favourites is to cube up smaller pieces like steak bites. Make a simple marinade that is an unreal good using equal parts soy sauce and olive oil, a garlic clove and then I just chuck in a whole bunch of whole peppercorns. Use an Immersion blender to mix it up as well as cuts up the peppercorns. An immersion blender is also key for mixing oil into a marinade well so it doesn't separate. Throw the cubes in there for 30-60 minutes and BBQ, or smoker hot until med-rare.
My wife says it is her birthday meal. Doesn't hurt to season and oil some veggies on the smoker at the same time.
My favorite is marinated in Montreal steak seasoning then grilled.
Last week I tried something a little different. Sliced 4 large bell peppers into half inch straps, 2 large red onions peeled and sliced a quarter inch thick, half a pound of white button mushrooms washed and sliced thick, sautéed in olive oil in a cast iron skillet for just a few minutes, til they started to soften slightly, added a tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and soy sauce, patted 3 pounds of ground venison Into 6 thick patties, placed on top of the veggies, dusted liberally with Tony Cacheres Cajun seasoning, added a slice of tomato on top of each patty and put in 350 degrees oven for 25 minutes. Plate the patties and serve the veggies and pan liquid over top Pretty darn good
I sear backstraps 3 minutes a side, then finish them in the oven at 400. I prefer my venison with only a hint of pink. Once you figure out the time to get your preferred doneness, it is pretty foolproof. We often accompany it with venison Diane sauce. We also like Texas-style chili using cubed venison, rather than ground. All recipes has an easy recipe that is seasoned well and easily modified.
For non-backstrap tougher cuts this is my favorite so far. But I love stew too.
Only ONE way??? That's not fair!!
I do exactly what string cheesehead does.. yummmm. Also cut up a “football roast” marinade in Italian dressing for a couple days, skewer and cook on the grill throw it on a hogie with cheese and creamy Italian dressing…Yumm. Same idea but chunks of meat vs thinly sliced
Stew or brown chili(no tomato).
When making the stew, brown and simmer the meat before adding vegetables. Add a little soy sauce to the beef stock for simmering.
I like my back straps. Just warmed up a little on each side. Winter Perch with Eggs. Always dipped in flour and fried in cast iron skillet.
This thread needs a drool warning!
I have given away the past 10 or so deer I’ve killed. I really don’t like deer meat, but when I do eat it, it’s tenderloins, grilled to medium done.
i think we have more gourmet chefs than we know. those pic's absolutely need the drool warning!
If I had to pic only one way it would be a little s,p,g, and seared in a smoking hot iron skillet, rare but not blue rare. I'm on several venison cooking - recipe groups and there's plenty of folks that apparently like venison grape jelly looking raw in the middle.
I slice my v-loins into about 1-1/4" steaks medium high heat on the grill for a good sear. Couple minutes a side. No seasoning but I put a good shot of soy sauce on each when I put them on the grill to keep the juices in. Then another shot when I flip. Simple as it comes and I have converted multiple people over that "don't like the taste of venison". TODDY
Corned venison
Corned venison
TODDY that's what I do with backstraps too. Yum! As far as people who " don't like " deer meat, just like guys who 'don't like girls/women" I never try to convert them. More for me ;)
Ground venison jerky. Never fails, disappears quickly.
Soak in italian dressing cook rare.
This is a hit appetizer…
Poblano or jalapeño peppers, Gruyère cheese, wrapped in bacon. They never get plated because they get destroyed right off the pan..
Country fried cube steak. Mashed potatoes and gravy!
Mississippi pot roast in the instant pot for the tougher roasts. Amazing!
I try to eat it almost every day until its all gone. Burgers on the pellet grill, fryin pan with olive oil, or whatever. Steaks on the pellet grill fo sho..
Elk Roast Wrapped in bacon cooked on the rotisserie….. yummm!
"I'm on several venison cooking - recipe groups and there's plenty of folks that apparently like venison grape jelly looking raw in the middle."
that sounds awful..
dip it in egg, roll cracker meal all over it and fry it in lard. damn good.
Same way I eat an elk. One piece at a time
#1 is raw backstrap, still warm, immediately after killing it if we don't let it hang. Nothing better.
#1A is exactly what JohnMC showed above.
#1B is fresh heart quick-seared in skillet and finished with butter.
#1C is neck roast in slow cooker/pressure cooker with favorite veggies over crusty sourdough bread.
Where's the like button??? Some great sounding meals.
First I like to let the steaks thaw then sit in the fridge for a few days, to tenderize. Chops are mighty good. Dried mustard is a secret ingredient I like to use, along with the usual suspects (garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce. I cook it hot and tented to start.. After 5-7 minutes, I take the tent off, give it 3 minutes or so on the same side, then flip it and cook for 3 minutes or so. Take it off as soon as fluids start to pool on the surface, then let it sit for a few minute off the flame. You know it's really good when you don't need any condiments.
In general the younger the critter, the more tender the meat, and loaded up with fat is also a good sign. It goes without saying that the harvesting and butchering all have to be done right.
The only part of a deer I soak in salt water is the tenderloins and the heart. The rest of it needs the blood and moisture to stay juicy.
I’m cook it a lot of different ways. No favorite. It’s all yummy goodness. I don’t like it raw. But, the bloodier the better as long as it’s hot.
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are my main spices. If it’s marinated, spicy allegro. You boys are missing out if you are using worchestire sauce. That’s probably spelled wrong but, you get the point.
Try the allegro. It’ll be in the Mexican section of your grocery store. Just cover it. Don’t let it soak in a pool of it. Just wet down, season and let set an hour or so. Booyah!!!!!!
While I like the backstraps grilled or seared....my favorite method works with any meat (including shanks). Its a version of Mississippi pot roast that is easy to make.
Place any meat in the bottom of a crock pot. Add an entire stick of butter and lay on top of the meat. Add one envelope of Hidden Valley dry ranch powder and one envelope of Aus Jus dry mix of your preferred brand. Lastly, if you like a little zest to your food add 6 or 7 peperoncini peppers. DO NOT ADD ANY WATER! It makes its own broth. Cook until the meat pulls apart with a fork easily. Spoon over mashed potatoes or rice. This is so good you can't believe it. Takes about 6 or 7 hours to cook on a medium setting.
If you like veggies add about 1/2 way through the cook cycle so they aren't mushy. Being a diabetic I just add some sliced onions and mushrooms at the beginning of the cook cycle and spoon over riced cauliflower. The variations are endless as long as you start with the meat, butter, and two packs of seasoning mixes. Its a nice meal to make before the afternoon hunt so you come back to camp with a hot meal ready to go.
You don't have to thank me. Just enjoy!
For backstraps and steaks - season and marinate, then sous vide at 127 for 1-1.5 hours, then a one minute sear on each side in clarified butter (ghee) on a HOT cast iron skillet, for a crispy buttery texture. Perfect medium rare every time.
Love a neck roast in the crockpot Mississippi style!
Good one Stringwhacker, going to definitely try that recipe!
Most mule deer and some blacktails are just too strong for me.
I love Axis, Sitka blacktails, whitetails and coues deer…grilled med rare. I also like itin chilis and cooked in my Hotpot.
I got out a package of venison steak Sunday morning. I used a tenderizer on it Sunday evening and placed in a bowl covered in Italian dressing. I placed it in the refrigerator until yesterday evening. I coated it in flour and fried it in Olive oil. I did enough that I will have it again tonight. A salad, a baked potato, the meat and I have a very good meal for this old bachelor. I very seldom buy meat. My meat comes from something I either shot or caught.
man that one pic above is bout raw in the middle... it's PURPLE!!!! that one is still quivering
i wouldn't be able to handle that... first pic is good for me
Slice thick. Marinate overnight in coke or pepsi. Fry hot and rare.
Best tasting meat on a deer is the neck.
Elk roast sliders cooked in the crockpot for 8 hours (onion soup mix and pepporocinis), topped with provolone and pepper Jack cheese. Nachos made with ground elk or deer, can’t remember… and chili. We all know how to make chili, right?
I also like my steaks (backstrap/loin) cooked to medium rare, in a skillet with caramelized onions. I just cooked some tenderized elk steaks, cut thin, in onion soup mix/brown gravy w/side of mashed potatoes. Good Lawdy!
Been a long time since I had turtle soup, Don T. Always amazed me that a critter that lives in such an inhospitable environment and eats what they do actually tastes right tolerable.
The sliders made me hungry again Rick, and I'm stuffed from a homemade pizza topped with venison sausage. Didn't think to snap a pic. This is what was left of the sausage.
Neck roast that I made recently.
Deer burgers mixed with bacon and seasonings.
In no particular order Grilled tenderloin wrapped in bacon and seasoned with salt, pepper garlic cooked rare/med rare. Teriyaki marinated backstrap on a charcoal/wood grill. Elk osso buco with a wild mushroom risotto is hard to beat. Mushroom swiss elk burger.
I had turtle soup yesterday. I really like my current recipe. Been making it for years. Includes a nutty flavored roux to make it creamy, fresh spinach and dry sherry, among other things. I could eat turtle soup every day. I just don't much like killing and butchering them. It's not for the faint of heart.
I don't have a single favorite for deer meat, there are so many cuts that beg to be used differently. I make a Smoked Deer Chili that I wouldn't change at this point. I think I peaked. The meat, veggies, and wild mushrooms are smoked before being brought in, chopped, and cooked down on the stove.
Whole smoked shoulder, neck, ribs, roast, all good.
Or thick deer steaks, medium rare, with an herby, garlic, parmesan wild mushroom cream sauce as a topper. Doesn't get much better. I made it last weekend with a whole 1 gal back full of chanterelles. Not sure which was better, the chanterelle sauce or the venison. Great combo. Sheepshead in the sauce instead of chanterelles is even better with deer meat. Chanterelles go better with pork, chicken, turkey... but it's still very good either/any way.
Mostly dead. :) As a mater of fact , I'm having venison stir fry tonight.
We eat deer about 5 nights a week so there's lots of different recipes. A few favorites are pot pies made with canned venison, mixed frozen veggies & gravy made from bone broth, another is sauteed onions & browned venison chunks covered with sour cream and simmered on low for a few hours served over egg noodles. Another is either a top or bottom roast cut in half horizontally to create 2 flank steaks. Marinate in onion, oil,red wine s,p,g for a few hours then cook on smoking hot grill then slice thin cross grain.
Cured smoked venison ham in the pic. Takes a while to do but well worth it.
Cajun steak bites is a family favorite.
Go to is grilled blackstrap in 8” lengths. Hi heat for 2 minutes, turn 90 degrees for 2 minutes, flip for 2 minutes, turn 90 degrees and to low for 6 min. Let rest for 5 minutes. Looks great and perfectly done for venison.
I really don't have a favorite way. So many good ways to cook and eat it!
Our favorite ways to serve venison (in no particular order)
Chicken-fried backstrap with campfire potatoes
Roast in slow cooker
3-meat burgers (venison burger w/10% beef fat mixed with hot venison/pork sausage (60/40 mix)
Bracciola
Osso bucco
I did a cured boneless ham like above, med rare, sliced thin great for Sammies
Rolled roast. Take the flat roast from the hind quarters. Cut it in half the long way (like filleting a fish) but stop about an inch from the end, don't cut through. Flip the top piece over so now the roast is twice as long. Pound it flat. Cover with strips of bacon. Grab a box of Stove Top Stuffing. Put the required water & butter together in microwave till butter melts in water, stir. Add mixture to the stuffing & let soften. Pat stuffing flat on top of the bacon. Here you can add whatever you like, chopped onions, peppers, wild chantarelles, whatever floats your boat. Or you can leave it at bacon & stuffing. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Tie it up with string to hold it together while cooking. Put in oven or smoker & cook like any other roast. Slice it as shown. Some mashed potatoes with some gravy (a little gravy over the meat), some corn. You'll thank me.
Nomad, that looks fantastic!
I did Osso Bucco last night and made rice with the broth before serving. It was delicious!
Package of ground deer will become chili tonight and I have a piece of loin aging in the fridge right now as well. I will put on sea salt and coarse pepper then cook in a skillet with some oil, butter and garlic and then add some mushrooms and onions.
So many great ways to enjoy venison!!
Elk Wellington
Elk Wellington
Nomad I'm gonna have to try that. Here's a new one I tried recently with elk backstrap.
PushCo, please post up the recipe, that Elk Wellington looks amazing!
Brownbirdhunter.....I did Osso Bucco recently also. Loved it.
Pushco........That looks killer!
I wonder if it would be possible to start a new "dedicated" forum category for game recipes to be posted.
I think that would be a GREAT addition, Rick!
I do Wellington also, but the "easy" way. Cut steak into general finger sized. Sear all sides. Use croissant dough from supermarket (Pillsbury or I actually prefer the generic), wrap each piece, bake in oven. Yum.
Smarba that's right up my alley there.
Last night's dinner was "crackpot fajitas" strips of whitetail deer tenderloin, peeled shrimp, and chicken breast strips all sautéed separately in cast iron skillet, then layered in the slow cooker with tex-mex spices, and strips bell pepper and onion served in flour tortillas with queso, sautéed white mushrooms, home made green salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato as optional toppings
PushCoArcher
Please post the recipe it looks amazing.
I'll try and post a link. We used the pioneer woman's beef wellington recipe. Used croissant dough sheets from the store for the pastry. Smarba I like that idea my only complaint was it fell apart a bit when cutting it up certainly would solve that problem. Wish I could claim to have had the idea or made it but it was all my wife.
